Flying-machine.



v G. P. BKLUND.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED UB0. 16, 1911.

Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

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FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED mo. 16. 1911.

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' FLYING MACHINE.

A PPLIGATION FILED D3016, 1911.

Patented De0.10,1912..

3 SEEETS-SHBET 3.

' GUSTAVE F. EKLUNI), OF DRACUI, MASSACHUSETTS.-

FLYING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

Application filed December 16, 1911. Serial No. 666,106.

To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that I, GUs'rAvn F. EKLUND, a citizen of the'United States, residing at Draout, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in F lying-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to flying machines, and its object is to provide a flying machine of the heavier-than-air class which is simple of construction and possesses maxi mum general efliciency.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a flying machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sect-ion through the machine. Fig. 4c is a vertical longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4. Fig-6 is a detail horizontal section through the controlling mechanism. Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse section through the frame on a line through the axis of one of the sets of supporting wheels.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a horizontal base framev comprising parallel longitudinal side bars 2 and 3, connected at intervals by transverse rods or bars 4. Supported by said horizontal base or main frame is an upright frame formed of front,

rear and intermediate pairs of standards 5, 6 and 7, the standards of each pair being connected by cross pieces 8 and suitably reinforccd from the frame. Said standards are provided with depending extensions 9, and carry at their upper-ends the supporting surface of the machine, said supporting surface comprising a frame with a covering of canvas or other suitable fabric. This supporting surface embodies a main plane extending lengthwise parallel/with the line of flight, and formed of. a central port-ion 10,

lateral extensions or wings 11 and front and rear wing tips 12 and l3. The body to the body 10 and are adapted to be flexed or warped, as hereinafter described.

The machine is provided with front and rear pairs of cushioned supporting wheels 14 and 15, which are journaled upon front and rear transverse axles 16 and 17. These axles are fitted to slide vertically in guide slots :18 formed in the depending extensions 9 o' the front and rear standards. Carried by said extensions are skids or runners 19,/below which the wheels normally project." Cushioning springs 20 bear at their free ends against the axles and are secured atftheir opposite ends by clips 21 to the frame bars 2 and 3, said springs being provided intermediate their ends with coils 22. When the machine strikes the surface of the ground in landing, or runs over a rough ground surface, the springs permit thewheels to .yield up to the line of the skids to secure a cushioning action and permit the skids to come into play in the landing operation to bring the machine to a quick stop. Secured to the front axle is a bracket plate 23, to which is fixed the lower end of a rod 24 projecting through and slidable in a guide 25 *arried by the frame, to reinforce the front axle in its sliding movements. The upper end of the rod is provided with an angularly bent stop portion 26 which normally rests upon one of the cross bars 4 and is adapted to engage the same to prevent t-oo violent downward movement of the front wheels and. strain upon the axle 16 when the wheels violently react after contact with the ground orin running over abrupt irregularities of surface.

$2 I nonzero The propelling mechanism comprises a motor 27 supported upon thebase frame in line with the center of gravity and. having its'shaft extending rearwardly and carrying a drive sprocket 28. vJournaled upon the cross bars of the rear sets of standards is a longitudinally extending propeller shaft 29 carrying front and rear propellers 3'1. and 32, the blades of which are set on lines between each other so that they will exert a continuous thrust pressure on the air. The

shaft 29 carries a pinion 33 driven from the sprocket wheel 28 by a chain 34:.

Suitably supported at the rear ofv the ma. chine beneath the Wing tip 13 is avertical or direction rudder 35 to which are connected the rear ends of a pair of cables 36. These cables extend forwardly over suitableguide pulleys and are oppositely wound at their forward ends upon a drum 37, so that by turning the drum in one direction or the other the rudder may be adjusted to steer the machine to the right orvleft. The drum is mounted upon a longitudinally extending control shaft 38 havingat its rear end a hand wheel 39 disposed in proximity to the aviators seat 4-0. Said shaft is journ'aled and slidably mounted in suitable bearings on spaced brackets 41 supported from the base frame, so that the shaft may both oscillate laterally and slide in a fore and aft direction.

Fulcrumed upon the front cross bar of the baseframe at a point intermediate of its length is a lever 42, theupper arm of which is connected by a link 4.3 with the front wing tip-12 and the lower arm of which is connectedrwith a rod or link 44 slotted to slidably engage the guide rod 24 and connected at its rear end with one or more cables45 leading from suitable guide pulleys to the rear Wing tip 13. The upper arm of the lever 42 is provided. with a slotted portion 46 slidably engaged by a cross pin upon a collar or head 47 swiveled tov the control shaft, so that said 'shaft'may be turned laterally W thout afl'ecting the lever, while by sliding ihe shaft longitudinally the lever will be rocked forwardly or rearwardly. By rocking the lever 'in one direction the Wing tips 12 and 1.3 will be drawn down or warped to increase their angle of incidence, While by rockingthe lever in the opposite direction the Wmgs will be permitted to move upwardly to a decreased angle of incidence. Hence the said wing tips may be adjusted to vary the lifting power of the machine, as well as to steer the machine indfi vertical plane, and to control the longitudinal balance of the machine.

From the foregoing description, the construction and mode of operation of my im:

proved flying machine will be readily. under stood by those versedin'the art, and it will be seen that the construction described. provides a machine of a simple type which is light in weight and readily and conveniently controlled. Also it will be seen that by meansof the described construction of the supporting surface a machine is provided which will maintain a direct course of flight and is adapted to balance itself automatically in the air to an effective degree.

Having thus described the inventiomwhat I claim as new is:

1. A flying machine embodying a frame, a supporting surface having front and rear flexible Wing tips, a lever intermcdiately fulcrumed on the frame for a fore and aft swinging movement, said lever having a slottedarm, connections between the arms of the lever and the respective Wing tips, a longitudinally slidable and rotatable control shaft, a head swivcled to said shaft and having a projection engaging the slotted arm of the lever, means for rotating and sliding said control shaft, vertical rudder, and means actuated by the rotary movements of the shafts for adjusting said rudder.

A flying machine embodying a frame including a platform, a supporting plane above the platform. and having front and rear flexible wing tips, standards rising from. the platform and provided with bearings, a shaft slidable and rotatable in said bearings, a vertically disposed intermediately pivoted lever having an upper longitudinally slotted arm and having its lower arm projecting below the platform, a link directly connecting the upper arm of the lever with the front wing tip, a link con nected with the lower arm of the lever and disposed beneath the platform, aflexible connection between said link and the rear wing tip, a head swiveled to said shaft and having a projection engaging the slotted arm of the lever, a drum mounted on said shaft, a vertical rudder, and a cable wound reversely on the drum and connecting the same with the vertical rudder.

3. A. flying machine embodying a frame, a vertical rudder, a supporting surface having front and rear flexible wing tips, a lever intermediately fulcrumed on the frame for a fore and aft swinging movement, said lever having a slotted arm, connections between the arms ofthe lever and the respective wing tips, a longitudinally slidable and rotatable control shaft, a head swiveled to said shaft andhaving a projection engaging the slotted arm of the lever, a drum mounted on said shaft, and a cable wound revcrsely on the drum and connecting the same with plan and longitudinally or transversely bowed or curved, correspondingly curved an upward and outward direction will! relaflexible Wing tipsat the front and rear of tion to the body portion. 10 said body portlon and coextensive in size In testimony whereof I afilx my signature j with eaoh'other, and longitudinally and in presence of two Witnesses.

transversely bowed or curved wings at the GUSTAVE F. EKLUND. sides of the body portion and fixed Wit-h Witnesses: relation thereto, said Wings being coexten- PETER BOLTON,

sive in size with each other and inclined in BERNARD MAGUIRE. 

